Telephone support device

ABSTRACT

A telephone handset support device comprising a resilient headband provided with earpads for engaging the ears of the use, and a clip detachably attached to one earpad. The clip detachably connects to the headband and a central opening allows sound from the speaker in the telephone earpiece to pass through the connection to the user&#39;s ear. The clip includes a pair of spaced resilient gripping arms which extend generally outwardly away from a base of the clip and towards one another to define a region into which the earpiece of a telephone handset can be placed such that the arms grip around that earpiece. A resiliently mounted lever is urged towards the base and bears on the end of the earpiece so as to press this against the base and together with the gripping arms retains the earpiece in the clip.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a telephone support device and in particular adevice which includes a headband which rests over the user's head andwhich can support an existing telephone handset with the earpieceagainst the ear so that the user's hands can be left entirely free.

Telephone handset support devices of this general type are known and areto be preferred to trying to balance the handset on the user's shoulder.Examples of known devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,481,387,4,048,453, 2,020,084 and 4,121,061. The arrangement described in thoseearlier patents however either requires the telephone handset itself tobe specially adapted as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,061 or to employ a loopor the like which fits as a strap round the earpiece to hold the handsetin place. Such an arrangement may have been satisfactory when virtuallyall telephones were of the same shape and size so that the strap wouldfit but, with today's modern telephones, the handsets come in suchdiverse shapes and sizes that it would not be practical to provide anindividual strap for each design of handset.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide anarrangement which is capable of supporting more or less any telephonehandset irrespective of its shape and size.

According to the invention, the telephone handset support deviceincludes a resilient headband capable of fitting over the user's headand provided with earpads adjacent either end for engaging the ears ofthe user, and a clip which is detachably attached to one earpad, theclip including a base having connecting means for detachably connectingthat base to the headband, the connecting means including a centralopening so that sound from the speaker in the telephone earpiece canpass through the connection means and headband to the user's ear, a pairof spaced resilient gripping arms which extend generally outwardly awayfrom the base and towards one another to define a region into which theearpiece of a telephone handset can be placed such that the arms griparound that earpiece, and a resiliently mounted lever urged towards thebase and arranged to bear on the end of the earpiece so as to press thisagainst the base and together with the gripping arms retain the earpiecein the holder.

The arrangement of the gripping arms and the resiliently mounted leveris found to provide good connection for all shapes and sizes of earpieceof the telephone handset to the clip.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is preferred that the connection means include a bayonet arrangementcomprising an opposed pair of lugs on either the clip or the headbandwhich engage in corresponding slots or behind corresponding ledges onthe other. Such an arrangement has the advantage that the clip canquickly be attached and detached so that the user can quickly and easilyattach the telephone handset to the headband when required, and equallyquickly remove it when the telephone is not to be used, the clipremaining attached to the telephone at such times, and the headbandremaining on the head of the user.

It is further preferred that the bayonet arrangement be arranged so thatthe pair of lugs are trapped which ever way the clip is twisted. In thisway, the arrangement can accommodate left hand and right hand userswithout any change in the construction of the item. Thus, if the userwishes to wear the arrangement such that the telephone earpiece isagainst the left ear, then the clip is connected by twisting in onedirection so that the telephone mouthpiece hangs in front of the mouthof the user and, conversely if the user wishes to wear the telephoneover the right ear, then the user twists the clip in the oppositedirection and wears the headband the other way round.

In order to maintain the telephone handset so that its mouthpiece isnear the mouth of the user, stop means are desirably provided whichprevent the clip twisting relative the headband further than isnecessary to trap the lugs in place.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of the device of the inventionshowing a telephone handset in broken lines;

FIG. 2 is a side view from the opposite side of the device shown in FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view of the clip portion of the device;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged underneath view of the clip portion;

FIG. 5 is a section through the clip shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 taken alongthe line 5--5 in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective exploded view, similar to FIG. 1, of a modifiedembodiment of the invention showing a telephone hand set in brokenlines.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The telephone handset support device 10 shown in the drawings includes aheadband 12 at one end of which is an enlarged earpiece 14. Adjacent theother end is a separate earpiece 16. Detachably attached to the earpiece14 is a clip 18 which is arranged to support a telephone handset 20shown diagrammatically in broken lines.

The headband 12 is made of synthetic plastics material and is resilient.It includes an integrally outwardly extending ridge 13 forreinforcement. The headband is designed to grip over the head of a user.To the inwardly directed surface of the earpiece 14 is attached a ringof foam 22 to act as a cushion where the earpiece bears against one ofthe ears of the user. At the centre of the earpiece 14 is an opening 23which is aligned with the centre of the ring of foam 22 to allow soundto pass to the ear of the user.

The separate earpad 16 also has a ring of foam 24 on its inwardlydirected face to cushion the earpad against the other ear of the user.Also, that earpad 16 has a strap 30 extending outwardly from itsoutwardly directed face which embraces the end of the headband 12. Theend therefore is slidable within that strap to enable the position ofthe earpad 16 to be adjusted to suit a range of users. To hold the padin a selected position, the end of the headband 12 has on its outwardlydirected surface, a number of integrally formed spaced projections 32which engage with the edges of the strap to temporarily hold the earpad16 in a preset position.

The clip 18 comprises a substantially flat base 40 having integrallyformed with it a pair of upstanding gripping arms 42 and 44. These areformed near to the front end, in the sense viewed in FIG. 1. The clip 18is made of resilient synthetic plastics material and so the arms 42 and44 are somewhat resilient and springy. Each arm includes an innerportion 44a and 42a, respectively, integrally formed with the base 40and extending in a direction such that the arms are bent slightlytowards one another, and an outer end portion 42b and 44b, respectively,which are bent over further so as to extend much more towards oneanother than the portions 42a and 44a. This arrangement allows the arms42 and 44 to embrace and grip partially around a telephone handset 20.In addition and as best seen in FIG. 3, the portion 42b extend slightlyrearwardly as seen in side view as in FIG. 3 whilst the portions 42a areat substantially right angles to the base as seen in side view as inFIG. 3.

Also, integrally formed with the base at the front end of the clip 18,is an integral upstanding lug 46. This will engage the inner end of theearpiece of a telephone and, together with the arms 42 and 44, willprevent that inner end from sliding out of the clip 18.

Pivotally mounted on the base 40 is a lever 50. The lever 50 includesside arms 52 through which a pivot pin 54 extends. This pivot pin 54also extends through a pair of spaced upstanding lugs 56 integrallyformed with the base 40 to provide the point about which the lever 50pivots. Around the pin 54 is a coil spring 58 which bears against thebase 40 and lever 50 to urge the lever 50 towards the base in thedirection of the arrow 60 shown in FIG. 5. Also as best shown in FIG. 5,the lever has an integrally formed downwardly extending lug 62. Thisrestrains the action of the spring 58 and prevents the lever from movingany further towards the base 40 than the position shown in full lines inFIG. 5 since the lug 62 then bears against the lugs 56 projecting upfrom the base. The lever can however pivot outwardly to an open positionshown in ghost lines in FIG. 5 where the outer end of the arm 50 abutsthe base and there is room for a user to insert or remove a telephonehandset. In that connection the lever 50 includes an outer finger detent64 by means of which a user can press on the lever to cause it to moveto the open position shown in ghost lines in FIG. 5.

At the centre of the earpiece 14 and coaxial with the opening 23, is acircular recess 70. Projecting into that recess and integrally mouldedwith the earpiece 14 are a pair of diametrically opposed lugs 72. Eachof these includes an outwardly projecting portion 74 substantiallyparalleled to the axis of the opening 23 and recess 70, and an outer endportion 76 which is directed radially outwardly.

In the base 40 is a circular opening 78. Extending inwardly from theopening is a ledge 80. This extends circumferentially around theopening. Formed in it are a pair of notches 82 which are spaceddiametrically apart and are of such a size as to allow the lugs 72 topass through them.

In order to attach the clip 18 to the headband 12, the clip is pressedagainst the earpiece 14 with the notches 82 aligned with the lugs 72.They can therefore pass the ledge 80. Then when the clip is twistedrelative the headband, the outer end portions 76 of the lugs 72 willengage the ledge and retain the clip in place. To remove the clip, it issimply twisted back to align the lugs 72 and notches 82 and the clip canthen be separated from the headband.

FIG. 6 shows a modified version of the invention with the lugs 72 beingcarried on the base 40, and the notches 82 being formed in the ear piece14, thus reversing the bayonet arrangement shown in FIG. 1.

So as to ensure that the telephone handset does not hang looselydownwardly but is retained with the mouthpiece of the telephone in thefront of the user's face near to the mouth, a pair of integrally formedlugs 90 extend downwardly from the base 40. One or other of these, asexplained below, will abut the side of the headband in the region 92(see FIG. 1) and prevent further twisting of the clip relative theheadband once the lugs 72 have entered the notches 82 and been trappedby the ledge 80.

The clip can be attached so as to be suitable for a left-handed orright-handed user. In the situation shown in FIG. 1, the telephone ispositioned so as to extend forwardly from the right ear of the user. Asan alternative, the clip 18 and handset 20 can be rotated through 180°about the axis of the opening 78 and then attached to the earpiece 14.Then the handset will be supported so as to extend forwardly from theleft ear of the user.

The arrangement of the lever 50 and arms 42 and 44 enables the clip tobe fixed easily to almost any telephone handset. In particular becausethe lever 50 can be quickly and easily moved to the open position shownin ghost lines in FIG. 5, the earpiece end of the handset can beinserted between the arms 42 and 44 without excessive bending of thosearms which might otherwise break them since they need to be sufficientlyrigid to support the handset in use.

The sound from the loudspeaker in the handset can reach the user's earsthrough the aligned openings 78 and 23. However, if desired, anamplifier device can be fitted within the opening 23, such devices beingwell known and capable of fitment into the earpieces of telephonehandsets.

I claim:
 1. A telephone handset support device comprising a resilientheadband capable of fitting over a user's head and provided with earpadsadjacent either end for engaging the ears of the user, and a clip whichis detachably attached to one earpad, the clip including a baseassociated with connecting means for detachably connecting that base tothe headband, the connecting means including a central opening so thatsound from a speaker in a telephone handset can pass through theconnection means and the earpad to the user's ear, a pair of spacedresilient gripping arms and which extend generally outwardly away fromthe base and towards one another to define a region into which anearpiece of the telephone handset can be placed such that the arms griparound that earpiece, and a resiliently mounted lever urged towards thebase and arranged to bear on the end of the earpiece so as to press theearpiece against the base and together with the gripping arms retain theearpiece in the clip.
 2. A telephone handset support device as claimedin claim 1 in which the connection means include a bayonet arrangementcomprising an opposed pair of lugs on the clip which engage incorresponding slots on the earpad.
 3. A telephone handset support deviceas claimed in claim 2 in which the bayonet arrangement is arranged sothat the pair of lugs are trapped in the slots on the earpad which everway the clip is twisted.
 4. A telephone handset support device asclaimed in claim 2 or claim 3 in which in order to maintain thetelephone handset so that its mouthpiece is near the mouth of the user,stop means are provided on the headband which prevent the clip fromtwisting relative to the headband further than is necessary to trap thelugs in place.
 5. A telephone handset support device as claimed in claim1 in which each of the resilient gripping arms includes an inner portionand an outer portion, said inner portion being joined to the base andextending in a direction such that these portions of the arms are bentslightly towards one another, and said outer portion bent over furtherso that the outer portions extend much more towards one another than theinner portions.
 6. A telephone handset support device as claimed inclaim 1 in which the connection means include a bayonet arrangementcomprising an opposed pair of lugs on the earpad which engage incorresponding slots on the clip.
 7. A telephone handset support deviceas claimed in claim 6 in which the bayonet arrangement is arranged sothat the pair of lugs are trapped in the slots on the clip which everway the clip is twisted.
 8. A telephone handset support device asclaimed in claim 6 or claim 7 in which in order to maintain thetelephone handset so that its mouthpiece is near the mouth of the user,stop means are provided on the clip which prevent the clip from twistingrelative to the headband further than is necessary to trap the lugs inplace.
 9. A telephone handset support device as claimed in claim 1 inwhich the connection means include a bayonet arrangement comprising anopposed pair of lugs on the clip which engage behind correspondingledges on the earpad.
 10. A telephone handset support device as claimedin claim 9 in which the bayonet arrangement is arranged so that the pairof lugs are trapped in the ledges on the earpad which every way the clipis twisted.
 11. A telephone handset support device as claimed in claim 9or claim 10 in which in order to maintain the telephone handset so thatits mouthpiece is near the mouth of the user, stop means are provided onthe headband which prevent the clip from twisting relative to theheadband further than is necessary to trap the lugs in place.
 12. Atelephone handset support device as claimed in claim 1 in which theconnection means include a bayonet arrangement comprising an opposedpair of lugs on the earpad which engage behind corresponding ledges onthe clip.
 13. A telephone handset support device as claimed in claim 12in which the bayonet arrangement is arranged so that the pair of lugsare trapped in the ledges on the clip which ever way the clip istwisted.
 14. At telephone handset support device as claimed in claim 12or claim 13 in which in order to maintain the telephone handset so thatits mouthpiece is near the mouth of the user, stop means are provided onthe clip which prevent the clip from twisting relative to the headbandfurther than is necessary to trap the lugs in place.